The Tape
by JuliaStenberg
Summary: When the Jack leaves the island with rest of the Oceanic 6 he has got one promise to fulfill. Some Jacket. Characters: Rachel, Jack and Juliet.
1. Chapter 1

After I read the fanfiction called The Letter here on this site I got this idea of writing a similar story but about a tape.  
I _did _read the 'rules' and I know that copying is not allowed but I haven't copied. I just got my idea from there.  
I think the story "The Letter" is very good and I really think you should read it.

I'm very new here on this site so I'm so sorry if I did anything wrong and _not _allowed. And if you have to you can always erase this story. I don't really know how this work and I didn't understand the Rating think, but I gave a K+ because I think it's suitable.

English is not my native language, but I hope you'll survive.  
And about the word "underground" I'm not sure if that's what it's called. I think in American English it's called subway or something.

Alright, the story is quite simple. While all of them were still on the island Juliet recorded some stuff on a tape and she gave it to Jack if something would happen and they were separated and Juliet didn't make it off the island. I have no idea how the tape survived during everything that happened after that though. Whatever.. Jack promised that if something happened and he made it off the island he would give it to Rachel.  
It's kind of slow though, and the tape isn't mentioned until chapter 4.  
And the story kind of works that way that you're not suppose to know that it's Jack in the first chapter. Or that it's Rachel.. but you know anyways

I do not own Lost or its characters. My story is only here for entertainment, thanks for reading.

**Chapter 1**

He thanked the driver and paid him for the journey from the airport

He had arrived a few hours ago at the Miami airport. Then he had just been sitting there on a bench, thinking with a glass of whiskey in his right hand and a piece of paper in the other.

After a while of thinking, he'd called for a cab. He had never been to Miami before, and the city was very big so he didn't dare take the underground since he didn't know if he would find the place he was searching for by himself.

He opened the door and stepped out of the car. He breathed in the fresh cool air and closed the yellow door and watched the cab as it drove away, turned around the corner and disappeared behind a house.

By turning around, he was met by another house, very similar to all the other in this neighbourhood. It was a very nice house and the gardening was done well. Another Florida home, he thought.

He sighed, closed his eyes and slowly opened them again, to calm himself down. Then he picked out the piece of paper from his pocket. His hand was shaking while he read the address, written with her handwriting.

By looking back at the house, he ensured himself that the number on the paper matched the number on the house. It did.

He walked a few steps towards the house, but then he stopped. He knew that he still could walk away as if nothing ever happened and the woman would never know. But he had to do this. He had come all the way from Los Angeles for this. I will not go home now, he thought.

Then he walked the rest of the way to the door. He slowly and quietly counted to five and then he rang the doorbell.

He heard that familiar sound; "ding, dong" from inside of the house. Almost immediately he regretted it. It was very late, what if she was sleeping and he'd just awakened her? But he would not go away now, he had no choice.

His heart was beating faster than normally at the same time his breathing sped up. He was nervous, nervous of what was coming.  
He sighed, again. Tried to control himself, not to do anything stupid.

"_I won't, if you won't"_ He shook his head, but the words were still there.

He was sweating, but at the same time he felt very cold, like you do when you've got a fever. His heart was beating even faster now. Where the hell was she?

He didn't even notice that he was biting his nails, even though there were almost no nails left.  
Maybe it's a mistake? Maybe I should come another day? In the middle of all of his questions and thoughts, the door opened.

"Hello?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jack was shocked. He couldn't breathe, and his heart didn't beat that fast anymore since it didn't beat at all.  
His eyes were big as plates and it felt like someone just had hit him in his stomach.

He looked at her. His first thought being that they were very similar. No doubt that it's her.  
You could easily tell that they were sisters, even though this woman had brown eyes, not ocean blue.

Jack smiled at the memory of her.

He had to speak, he knew that. But it was so hard. It felt like he didn't have any voice left and his mouth was so dry that it wouldn't have mattered, even if he had a voice.

After a while, of just staring at one another, he finally broke the silence with a weak and almost whispering voice.

"You're Rachel?"

Silence. Really he didn't have to ask. He could actually see that this was Rachel, but of course he had to  
try being polite.

"Yeah..." she finally said "And you are?"

"Oh... Uh, ehm..." Oh God, where was his voice when he needed it? He looked at her. He still couldn't stop staring at her face.

"Wait... Yeah, I remember you. You're one of the Oceanic 6!" she expressed "You're Jack, right?"

He broke the eye contact and looked down at his feet, how was he going to tell her this? It's impossible, and yes, he was aware of the fact that no one that hasn't been there would ever understand. But he had to, he'd promised.

He didn't know for how long he'd been standing there on the doorstep with the woman, her sister, staring at him. Probably wonder why the hell he, a survivor of Oceanic Flight 815, was doing there. He slowly breathed in and out, trying to gather his thoughts and speak.

"Yes, that's me" he said, almost mumbling.

"Oh… right" was all she could say, slightly confused "Well, then. What are you doing here? Is there something I can do for you?"

"Uhm..." How was he going to say this? He asked himself the question again. She won't believe him. In fact, nobody would have believed this. He wouldn't have believed this if he was in her position. If he had to tell her about there, the island…

It's going to be hard, he thought.

"I'm sorry Jack, but I don't understand. What are you doing here?" She stuttered, a bit worried.

Of course she's worried, he thought. Who wouldn't be when a stranger is standing on your doorstep and can't even give you an explanation of being there?

She looked at him with a questioning gaze.  
"I don't wanna be mean or anything, but I've got nothing to do with you or any of the Oceanic 6... I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. I d-o... I don't know you."

She tried to close the door, but Jack grabbed it. Not letting her or himself break this conversation. He must do this. He looked into her hazel coloured eyes, and saw that he'd just made her even more worried.

What was only a matter of seconds felt like a lifetime. Her lips were shaking, slightly open. She reminded him very much of her.

"Rachel…" He'd come this far and he would not go away without having fulfilled his promise. "There's something I need to tell you"

He knew he had just made her even more confused and afraid, but how do you explain this for someone? It must be one of the hardest things he'd done in his whole life.

"I know you won't believe this. Not yet anyway, but you and me… we really need to talk" His voice was shaky, but much stronger than before. "And there's something that I need to show you"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Look, I've got no idea what you're on about. What do you want from me?  
You see… I've got a boy in here, right. So, please don't do anything."

He sighed.  
"I won't. You can trust me, I'm not going to hurt you."

_"You can trust me, Jack. I'm not going to hurt you"_

There were the words again, echoing inside of his head. He'd known that he would always remember them, but that they would follow him wherever he went he would not have guessed.

"It's… complicated" he said "Your… y-your sister sent me here"

Finally. He'd done it. Now there was no going back. He couldn't just walk away now, he had to show her.

"What?" At first she looked at him, shocked and confused. But then it changed, into anger.  
"D-o... Do you think I'm stupid? Please, I want you to leave, right now." she said, starting to get really worried.

Jack felt terrible. He thought he would get a different reaction than this, but he has had wrong before.

He closed his eyes, as if he would disappear if he did. That's what he thought when he was a little kid. That if you couldn't see them, they were not able to see you. But he knew better now, so he opened his eyes and met hers.

"Don't you think I've been through enough already? If, ehm… If my sister sent you here, why couldn't you just have come like three years ago?" She asked him, with a shaky voice.

"It doesn't really sound like her sending someone to come here in the middle of the night claiming that he was sent by her, does it? No, so look…I've done nothing to you, so please, just leave.  
You don't know me, and you certainly don't know my sister"

There was this awkward silence again. He knew what he had to say, he just had to get brave enough to say it. He felt sorry for her, knowing how bad he made her feel. He looked into her eyes, hoping that she could see in his eyes that this wasn't some sort of lie. It was all true. He knew that and soon she would, as well.  
If he just showed her, there wouldn't even be need for words to be said.

"I-I... I don't know you" He admitted with a more confident voice than of what he was feeling "But I do know her. Juliet"

Rachel started to cry. Jack, slightly surprised by the sudden change of emotion, just stood there and wasn't able to move.

"Knew" She said, almost whispering, in between her sobs.

"Huh?"

"If… If you knew her that well, you would have known that she died over three years ago"

Now he understood why he had gotten the reaction that he earlier got. She didn't know that Juliet was alive. Her own sister had thought she'd been dead all this time.

He looked at her. She looked very sad, like the sadness suddenly had taken over her body. He'd known that Rachel didn't know about the island, but he hadn't known that she thought Juliet was dead.  
Now he just had to show her, and she'll know that she is in fact alive.

"Rachel. What if..." By having no idea of how he was going to say this, he paused.

This was the absolute moment of truth. After this, everything would be changed. He knew that.

"What if I-I told you that she… isn't, really… dead?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

What was wrong with this man? Rachel didn't know what to say. She didn't even know what to think anymore.  
This was just… too much.

First he comes here telling her that he knows Juliet, but he doesn't even know that she's dead. And then he tells her that she isn't dead at all. Who the hell does he think he is?

"Please, go" she said "I don't want you here, leave me and my family alone. Please… You've done enough"

She didn't believe him. Of course she didn't. What was he thinking? Did he actually think that she was just going to believe this? Even Juliet told him that she wouldn't.

"Please, I know you don't believe me... But please just listen to this Just listen to it."

He opened his pocket and took out a tape. He looked at it, sighed. He had never listened to it but he knew what was in it. He handed it over to Rachel.

_"Hey Rachel."_

She stopped the tape almost immediately. Shocked and confused. What? It did sound like her, but it couldn't be. It's impossible. She's dead, right?  
She reversed and played it again.

_"Hey Rachel."_

It _is_ Juliet's voice. But... How could it be?  
Rachel felt sick. She could barely breathe and it felt like her heart was going to rip out of her chest any minute now. What did that man, Jack, really want? And why has he got this tape? He's got nothing to do with her or Juliet.

She closed her eyes and sighed. Then she opened them again and with a very shaky hand she pressed play again.

_It's me, Juliet. I-I.. I know you're confused. Very, very confused... 'cause I am, as well. There are like millions of thoughts and questions spinning in you're head and you probably don't believe this. But please… don't turn the tape off, listen through it. Just once, it'll be enough… I think. _

She paused it. That's not turning it off, right? She had to sit down and breathe.

It felt like she was dreaming. Maybe she was dreaming? She had to pinch herself to be sure that she wasn't.  
She felt dizzy, like she was going to faint any minute.

This is real, she thought, not a dream. This is real, not a dream… She repeated the thought a few times and then after a while she was brave enough to press play, once more.

_God, Rachel... There's so much to tell you, so many years that have passed._

But I'll start with the date, since I think it's a very important part. Today it's the uhm, well for me it's the xx of 2004.  
I thought maybe by knowing this it'll make things clearer for you.

You may be wondering if this is a joke, if the man standing outside your door is crazy and stupid by coming to your house claiming that he knows me. But it's not a joke Rachel, I promise.

And uh, the man who gave you this tape he... you may know him as a survivor of the Oceanic Flight 815. But if you don't... Well, his name is Jack Shephard and I know him, he's a… friend.  
So don't be rude by forcing him to stand outside all day, okay?

She paused, again. What was going on? It is Juliet, she's sure about that now but... how?

Surely she hadn't believed them when they told her that her beloved sister had just disappeared and that she was nowhere to be found.

After many days of searching someone came and told her that she had died when the flight, which was going to take her to Portland, had crashed and that the plane was never found.

But the fact that she still might be alive seems even more unreal.

Her thoughts and questions were so many and loud that she didn't even hear the knock on the door. It was Jack. He knocked again, and this time she heard him.

She tried to stand up but she didn't seem to have any control over her body anymore. She sank down on the couch, crying.

Slowly the door opened, and Jack entered the hallway. He looked around, searching for her until he spotted her pale face filled with sadness, confusion and pain.

He walked towards her, just slowly enough to have time to take notice of the photos she had on the wall. Photos of her and what he guessed was her son.  
There were many photos of her and the little boy. Not a single one of a father. He guessed they were divorced.

He looked around, searching for something special. And then he saw them.  
The photos of her. Juliet.  
He walked towards them and took one of the photos off the wall.

He studied it, touched her face and her beautiful golden hair. She looked so… perfect, with her beautiful smile spreading across her face.  
She looked so happy, as if there was nothing that could stop her from laughing in the whole world.

Rachel studied him there from the couch, through the tears that had been forming in her eyes.

It looks like he really knew her after all, she thought.


End file.
